Rule Changes Are In Order For College Sports
NCAA Should Take A Page Out Of Pros Rule Book
It's that time of year again - March Madness! Everyone has filled out their bracket, entered their pools, and is ready to enjoy all the exciting action of the NCAA tournament. There are a few things, however, that would make the games even more fun to watch.
Proposed Rule Changes for College Basketball
The first thing that should change in College Basketball is the shot clock. Instead of a 35 second clock, it should be a 24 second clock like the pros. A 24 second shot clock would speed up the pace of the game and make it more exciting. It would force teams to get into their offense quicker and cut down on the time wasted dribbling down the clock on the perimeter. Most importantly, though, it would make it more likely that the better team wins, and that is what is most fans want to see and what is most fair for the players. You see, a 35 second shot clock allows inferior teams to milk the clock, shortening the game and making it a much uglier game than it was meant to be.
A second proposal is to do away with the possession arrow. They should have a jump ball instead. Watching a jump ball is certainly more exciting than looking at a possession arrow. Some don't like the jump ball because they feel the taller player will always win. That is not the case, however. A jump ball is about timing your jump and it is about tipping it properly into the hands of a teammate. It gives the more skilled player an advantage.
The third rule that should be changed pertains to free throws. In some instances, a player must make the first free throw in order to even attempt the second one. One missed free throw and a team's possession is gone. This is a faulty rule as it rewards the team that is committing the foul. Like the pros, all shooting situations should be two free throws, unless someone is shooting a three.
College Football is coming off yet another entertaining season. Yet, it could have been even better with a few rule changes.
Proposed Rule Changes for College Football
While College Basketball is culminating with an exciting single-elimination playoff tournament, College Football continues to meander along with no sign of a playoff. A computer decides a national champion and that is not right. While there are two teams who compete in a championship game, there are more than two teams every year that are deserving of playing for a national championship. One thought is an eight team playoff. It can be done over a course of three weeks in late December/early January culminating with a championship game between the last two teams left standing. That would be much more exciting than a bunch of meaningless bowl games.
Another proposal has to do with the duration of College Football games. Even the most die-hard College Football fan would have to admit that a four hour game can be a little tedious. The game can be shortened greatly if they cease stopping the clock after every single first down. Shaving a few minutes off the halftime break would not be a bad idea either.
Finally, there needs to be something done about the overtime rules. Spotting a team the ball on the opponent's 25 yard line is just ridiculous. A team should have to earntheir points the old-fashioned way, marching their way down the field. They should adopt the pros sudden-death rules. That is the most exciting, dramatic way to end a game. Some NFL experts, like CBS' Jim Nantz, argue that the NFL overtime rules are unfair because if the team that wins the toss scores on their first possession, the other team's offense never sees the ball in the OT. The response to that is two-fold. First of all, defense counts too. If you lose the toss, it is up to your defense to step up and get the ball back. Second of all, a team has 60 minutes to win a game in regulation, so there will be no sympathy if you don't see the ball in OT. This also encourages teams to play more aggressive in regulation, not wanting to take any chances going to OT, and this makes the game more exciting.
The NBA and the NFL have the right idea when it comes to their rules. Their rules showcase the spirit of competition and put the best team in a position to win. If College Basbetball and College Football took a page from their pro counterparts, their sports could reach a whole new level of popularity.
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